This invention relates to a method and system for analyzing student performance in an electronic course.
In a traditional setting where courses are taught in a physical classroom, the instructor and multiple students interact on a personal level. The instructor is able to observe the student""s facial expressions, tone of voice, non-verbal cues and verbal cues as to the level of the student""s comprehension. Although many efficiencies are realized by moving the classroom into the digital domain and offering classes on-line or over a communications network, an instructor may not be able to observe personally the facial expressions, tone of voice, or other indications of the student""s comprehension.
In a traditional classroom setting, an instructor may primarily rely upon one or more exams and assignments to evaluate the student""s performance. While the grading of assignments and exams offers the opportunity to conveniently assign a grade to the student""s performance, such feedback may not be timely enough or sufficiently responsive to allow students to learn or improve their performance in the course. Thus, a need exists for analyzing student performance in the context of an electronic course to compensate for the absence of personal face-to-face interaction between an instructor and a student. Further, the need exists for analyzing student performance in an electronic course in a manner that may provide continuous realtime or otherwise up-to-date feedback on student performance so that the student may experience an enhanced learning process.
The method and system for analyzing student performance defines student performance by classifying student performance into discrete performance classifications associated with corresponding activities related to the electronic course. An observed student performance level for at least one of the performance classifications is measured. A benchmark performance level or range is established for one or more of the performance classifications. It is determined whether the observed student performance level is compliant with the established benchmark performance level for the at least one performance classification. Instructive feedback is determined for the observed student based upon any material deviation of the observed student performance from at least one of the following: the benchmark performance level, the benchmark performance range, a group of benchmark performance levels, and group of benchmark performance ranges. The teacher or instructor may communicate and revise the instructive feedback (e.g., a suggested communication to the observed student) as deemed appropriate to the student to tailor it to the student""s background to enhance the student""s educational learning experience.
In accordance with the invention, a method and system for analyzing student performance in an electronic course supports the provision of instructive feedback on a continuous or real-time basis. Further, the instructive feedback may be tailored toward an individual student or a selected group of students, rather than directed toward an entire population of students, who are enrolled in an electronic course, to better enhance the learning process.